Floor boxes are commonly used in buildings to provide power or data in areas that are not readily serviced by other means, such as wall boxes. Floor boxes are generally placed in areas away from wall boxes and more towards the open center of the floor where no wall or other support structure occurs. Because floor boxes are generally located in closer proximity to the device or devices they service, they eliminate wire or cords extending across the floor to the more traditional wall boxes. Obviously, while cords or cabling do also extend from a floor box, such floor boxes are generally arranged so that no such cabling need pass across main traffic aisles as is often the case when there are only wall boxes providing such service. Hence, to some degree, floor boxes help eliminate tripping hazards.
During daylight hours, such floor boxes in the open area of a floor and the cabling extending therefrom are readily seen as they generally contrast quite starkly with the floor material. At night however when lights are low, it may be more difficult to visually ascertain where the floor boxes and cabling are located. Hence, even the short run of cabling associated with floor boxes can create a tripping hazard.
It is thus desirable to provide a means of visually indicating where floor boxes are located even under low lighting conditions so that personnel can take appropriate precaution when near them. Further, the illumination of floor boxes serves double duty as a sort of “night light” by providing a limited source of area lighting. Also, illuminated floor boxes provide a point of reference during periods of low visibility such as when the room is smoke-filled because the light source is located in the floor and not the ceiling. Such floor reference points can be used to aid personnel in the proper evacuation of a building when normal visibility levels do not exist.
Additionally, it is common for data connectors to include a small LED therein that indicates when data is either being received or transmitted. It is also common for power connectors to have a small indicator light that informs the potential user that this receptacle is “hot”. In traditional floor boxes, the only way to view these indicator lights is to lift the lid and peer inside. When there are a large number of such boxes to inspect, this becomes a time-consuming task. Hence, it is a purpose of this invention to enable an inspector to readily view the inside of the floor box without having to actually pivot or move the lid into the open position.
These and other objects and advantages of this invention will become obvious upon further review and investigation.